Hello, readers. In today’s briefing: States are suing the Trump administration in an attempt to block the spread of 3-D gun blueprints. Chicago police are stepping up security at this year’s Lollapalooza music festival in the wake of the Las Vegas massacre. Plus, far-right activists are bringing their guns to a rally in Portland, Oregon, this weekend, reviving concerns about armed extremists as the anniversary of deadly protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, draws near. Those stories and more, below.
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WHAT TO KNOW TODAY
States and cities try new avenues to stop 3-D printed guns. A federal judge denied a request to block Defense Distributed from releasing blueprints for the guns on Friday, but safety advocates aren’t done fighting. Eight states and the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration and plan to ask a federal judge to issue a temporary restraining order against the company/extreme gun rights group. Twenty-one state attorneys general sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressing their concern. Representative David Cicilline of Rhode Island also plans to introduce a bill in the House of Representatives to ban the devices. Cody Wilson is fighting back. The founder of the 3-D gun company sued New Jersey’s attorney general and a Los Angeles attorney on Sunday for attempting to block his plans.
Federal investigators have reportedly traced suspicious financial transactions involving alleged Russian agent Maria Butina and her closest American associate, Paul Erickson. Some of the funds under scrutiny “appear to have come from Russia,” a source told McClatchy. Reporters in the newspaper group’s Washington bureau were unable to determine the answer to the million dollar question: whether the suspicious transactions were related to money raised and spent by the National Rifle Association to help elect President Trump in 2016.
Lollapalooza is upping security. The music festival, which starts Thursday in Chicago, is getting additional barriers and airport-style screening. The city will also quadruple its police presence, including undercover officers dressed as festival-goers and SWAT teams with snipers. “I think Vegas added a whole new level of concern for us,” a deputy superintendent told reporters. Law enforcement officials say the Las Vegas gunman booked rooms overlooking Lollapalooza in 2017, but never showed up.
Young Americans support gun reform, and the Second Amendment. So found a new study published in JAMA Pediatrics. The study used a text messaging application to poll Americans aged 14 to 24 about their views on gun regulations. Two-thirds of those polled said that gun control laws would decrease mass shootings. Two-thirds supported guns in the home, under certain conditions.
Florida’s red flag law has led to the temporary seizure of roughly 200 firearms and 30,000 rounds of ammunition. The weapons were removed from potentially violent people via the 450 extreme-risk protection orders processed since the law went into effect after Parkland. Broward County, where Parkland is located, has the highest number of petitions filed. Refresher: Here’s how gun violence restraining orders typically work.
Gun sale apps are now banned on Google Play. Google recently added restrictions on firearm sales to its Play Store developer policies. The new rules prohibit “apps that facilitate the sale of explosives, firearms, ammunition, or certain firearms accessories.” Sales of bump stocks and other accessories are also banned, along with instructions for the manufacture of weapons. Apple’s developer guidelines also ban gun sales, along with “depictions that encourage illegal or reckless use of weapons.”
A Bronx man was fatally shot eight years after his father was killed. Rashaun Pope, 21, an aspiring rapper and producer who had graduated from high school last year, was shot to death in Harlem early Sunday. Eight years ago, his father was also killed in a shooting. “They’ve still been dealing with that,” Pope’s mother said. “It’s been eight years, and the grieving is still fresh. And now this?”
An Oregon protest has been moved to a new location where marchers can carry guns. The Patriot Prayer protest group, organized by right-wing U.S. Senate candidate Joey Gibson, has moved its August 4 rally to the Portland waterfront, where open carry is allowed, instead of the federal park where it has been held previously. Clashes between far-right demonstrators and antifascist counter-protesters are expected at the rally. Gibson says his group will bring armed security.
